Officials of the DRI seized 42.34 kgs of hydroponic weed worth nearly Rs 42 crore from two passengers who landed in Mumbai from Bangkok. The seizure was made at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday, 2nd November, during an intelligence-based operation carried out by the DRI’s Mumbai Zonal Unit.
According to officials, the two passengers were intercepted soon after they landed in Mumbai. Their luggage was examined, and the officials found 21 food packets – including some labelled as noodles and biscuits – which were being used to camouflage the banned substance. Tests carried out using the NDPS field detection kit confirmed that the packets indeed contained hydroponic weed.
Operation Weed Out: DRI Mumbai seizes over 42 kg high quality hydroponic weed worth ₹42 crore at Mumbai Airport, two arrested
— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 4, 2025
?DRI has seized drug worth over ₹100 crore in 3 days
?The contraband, weighing 42.34 kg, was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and… pic.twitter.com/ORwKEf3Vwl
The narcotics were then seized under the relevant sections of the (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) NDPS Act, 1985, following which both passengers were arrested and taken for interrogation.
This operation comes close on the heels of another major DRI action on Friday, 31st October, when the Mumbai unit seized 4.7 kilograms of cocaine worth about Rs 47 crore. In that case, five people, including carriers, financers, handlers, and distributors, were arrested.
With these two cases combined, the DRI has now recovered over Rs 90 crore worth of narcotics in just a few days, striking a big blow to drug trafficking networks that operate through India’s western air routes. Officials said smugglers are increasingly using food packets and consumables to hide illegal substances, but the agency is staying alert to such methods.
The DRI has been running a special nationwide campaign called “Operation Weed Out,” under which it has already seized nearly 293 kilograms of hydroponic weed from airports across the country. A government spokesperson said the agency remains committed to creating a “Nasha Mukt Bharat” by breaking drug trafficking networks and protecting the health and safety of citizens.
